Land of Promise
by Shr0ud
Summary: Erika and Ephraim take on their childhood friend, Lyon, in the Darkling Woods. One-Shot


_It was always going to come down to them. There was no other way. _

Final Chapter : Sacred Stone

...

Erika and Ephraim urged their horses up the steps to the second level of the Black Temple. Gorgons cast their dark curses at them, barely missing. Maelduins swung their mighty axes that were parried, and blows were returned. Wights tried to out-duel the brother and sister, but they were easily dispatched. The monsters fell to the ground and vanished into darkness. With the wall of monsters gone, the man behind them was revealed. Standing a mere few meters away was Lyon; Prince of Grado, Creator of the Dark Stone, Enemy of Renais, and their best friend. His face was contorted by darkness into a terrible, yet still beautiful, look of triumph. He was slightly hunched, as if weighed down by the very darkness he used to prop himself up. He was a shell of his former self, and yet greater than ever before. Tears began to form in Erika's eyes, and Ephraim's Lance arm began to tremble. He looked, but the other members of the party were below, fighting against other monsters, unable to help. "This is it, Erika. You ready?" He asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," She replied. Erika's tears were nearly streaming at this point, but her expression remained necessarily blank. She wiped her tears with her armored arm. "Let us commit this sin. Go!"

Ephraim urged his horse on forward, Siegmund in hand. Lyon readied for the fight. But before he attacked, he asked, "Tell me Ephraim: do I look like I've grown stronger?" There was a desperation in his voice. Even though his power was augmented by that of the Demon King himself, Lyon still needed Ephraim's approval. Ephraim did not respond in words, but in an attack that Lyon easily dodged. Erika danced around the duo in a circle, waiting for the chance to strike. "I've sacrificed so many good people. I've committed unforgivable sins. The caring heart I possessed died long ago...And I've grown stronger because of it. I've grown strong enough to defeat even you, Ephraim."

"You were never one for combat. it's not in you, Lyon. You should never have chosen this path!" Ephraim cried out. "You seek my approval, for me to validate your strength. But Lyon, you gave up your true strength. You gave up what I admired about you. You gave up yourself. For what!?" He came for another pass, which Lyon dodged and then sent a powerful counterstrike in response to. His Naglfar tome's magic was the most potent in all the land, and it was directed at Ephraim. Ephraim tried to dodge it, but it came close to him. He was knocked violently from his horse, but he merely rolled, stood up, and charged. "Lyon! Here I come!" But Lyon was ready to attack with Naglfar, and without his horse's speed Ephraim was a very easy target. Erika jumped in at that moment to knock Ephraim out of the way. The attack that was aimed for Ephriam instead hit Erika's mount. She was thrown in the opposite direction.

Brother and sister stood up, Siegmund and Sieglinde in hand. They advanced on Lyon, who took a more defensive stance. He was ready to curse whoever ran at him first. That person was Ephraim. He soared toward Lyon with a bloodcurdling battle cry, but was struck by the full force of Naglefar. He was sent flying back into a wall. He fell, barely able to breathe. In his moment of triumph, Lyon turned to face Erika, with every intention of killing her.

But she wasn't where she was only a few seconds ago. She was right in front of him, and she plunged her sword into him. Lyon's eyes widened. Blood seeped from the wound, staining his purple robes, and some trickled from his mouth. "Erika..." He whispered. "You had it in you?"

"I had to. I had to stop you," She sobbed.

Lyon's hand rose, and he caressed her face. "Of course you did." He sunk to the floor. As he fell, Erika withdrew her sword from him. Her tears did not cease.

"Erika, please, come closer," he said. She was hesitant. "What else can I possibly gain?" He asked.

Convinced, in her still present naivety, she leaned down toward him, their faces close. "What is it?" He smiled at her, a genuine and warm smile. Seeing that smile, she became confused, and franticly asked, "Is it you again? Was it always you? Or was it the Demon King? How much of it was him!? Because you can't have done that! You can't have! All of those people-"

"Erika, I did. I did it all," Lyon said. "For the good of the people Grado." Erika saw that he believed what he said, the delusion he was fed by the demon that now used him as a host. Her tears flew even more freely than before.

"But thats not important anymore, there is something I have to tell you. Something I have to tell you properly!" he said with a quiet insistence. "Erika...I love you."

"Lyon..." was all she could say amongst her sobs.

His eyes shined with love and his lips smiled the same. And with the most important thing he had done in his life done, Lyon; Prince of Grado, the boy who took the world's fate on his shoulders, went into his eternal rest.

Silence.

Erika knelt next to his dead body. The monsters disapeared, Ephraim was lying, almost dead, but she only could think of Lyon. She looked at her blade and hated it for being marked with his blood. She picked it up and threw it across the temple. It skidded on the floor and fell down the main steps. Seth picked it up, and brought it with him as he and the rest of the party ascended the stairs. Upon seeing Ephraim, the healers used their Recover staves. He jumped up, still thinking there was a battle to be won. But what he was met with was worse.

Upon seeing the corpse, he felt a surge of anger. It boiled in his blood and readied him for battle, but there was no battle left to fight. He bit back his anger so that he could greet Lyon's body with dignity. He walked over, and prepared speak tenderly when it turned black. Suddenly, the body was pulled into the dark recesses of the temple.

The temple shook, and an evil power formed at the back. Ephraim allowed his anger to surge over him again, and he said, "This isn't over." They marched to the back, where they witnessed Lyon's body burst into dark energy that formed a tall and looming being. The being emanated a power beyond anything that Ephraim had ever felt before, but he was not daunted like the others. He held his lance firmly in his grip. He glared forward, and in absolute anger he said, "Demon King...I'm going to kill you!"

...


End file.
